Can We Talk 2

Crime and Punishment

Day 3349: April 19, 2022

Prompt: Literature: Today we have access to literary classics from across the planet that are translated into English. Have you read any English translations of novels, short stories, or poems that were translated into English from their original language? Did you enjoy them? Please, write a synopsis of what you read.

         I've read quite a few, mostly from Eastern Europe with tales of the war and racism. They had amazing insights into the horrors the older generations from Europe endured. However, a better-known story of enduring value is Crime and Punishment. It took me a very long time to read it. I'm always slow, but this was difficult to keep the story straight. You need a list of characters, who are sometimes referred to by last name, sometimes by the first, and frequently by a short version of the latter. Despite how spread out the reading was, and the flipping back and forth through the pages to figure out which character was acting, it was an intriguing story. I had to know if the lead character, with his elevated ego, would get caught. I felt great empathy for the young girl who was trapped in a desolate, "sinful" life to support her family. Her conscience was purer than his, but her actions nevertheless were against her standards of human behavior. I also enjoyed little insights into Russian life of that era.

         Much emphasis is placed on detective skills and interviewing technique. Guilt, which is only present in moral people, assists in solving the crime. I really appreciated the stress the author placed on atonement, a concept almost overlooked in modern culture. This book by Dostoevsky is considered one of the world's finest novels. It's worth the time to read.